Monthly Archive February 2012

Brand did not have a strong shooting night. The disturbing part is that he is missing his bread and butter 12-15 footers. For example, the baseline miss at the 2nd Q horn was simply brutal. However he did a nice job on the boards and on the defensive end. Most importantly he only played 28 minutes. We still wonder if EB will ever find his 2010-11 form.

AI9 got a quick start hitting 4 of his first 5, but it was his blazing hot 3rd Q that everyone will be talking about. That stop and go fast break for a thunderous dunk was amazing. Then he topped it by posterizing the vertically challenged Korver. On the next trip he hit a 3ball. He followed that with a steal, around the back dribble and dropped a dime to Jrue. It may be as coach Collins said, time to ”embrace him” Philadelphia. If he could give us one quarter like that a night this town would roll out the red carpet for ‘Dre.

Tony Battie, C14 MIN | 1-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 2 PTS | +3

Can we just start “Big Nik” and then go to Lavoy Allen?

Jodie Meeks, G14 MIN | 1-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 3 PTS | +3

The hot and cold Meeks showed us again tonight why he has been labeled “streaky”.

Holiday struggled again out of the gates — 2-7 in the 1st half (4 points) and 3 dimes. However he came out in the 2nd half and played stellar basketball. It all began on the defensive end where his intense lockdown sucked every last bit of life out of D-Rose. That fed his offensive game as he heated up in 2nd half and scored 13 points. For us the most important thing was that Jrue played under control in a match-up with one of the NBA’s elite PGs. Something that he has NOT always done.

Louis took some questionable shots again tonight. But he scored and got to the FT line which is what this team needs him to do on a nightly basis. He also managed to hand out 6 dimes and we believe he actually played some D during that big 3rd quarter run.

Thad had another great night, but for us it was his 1st half play that really impressed. Thad had a stellar first half (11 & 4) and his reb-put back of an AI9 air ball in the late 2nd Q was a huge Bulls momentum stopper for the Sixers. He presents a significant match up problem for opponents, hits open J’s, rebounds at both ends and gets to the FT line. What else can you ask for from the 6th man?

Allen had a large 1st half – 8 points, 4 rebs and a steal. And along with Turner was the key to the Sixers big push to grab the lead in the 2nd Q. We actually wanted Collins to leave him the game in the late 2nd Q instead of bringing EB back in the game. He continued his stellar play in the second half and had a nice part in the huge 3rd Q. Think Fran Dunphy is pissed that this Lavoy Allen was nowhere to be found last year at TU?

Evan Turner, SG27 MIN | 1-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 4 AST | 2 PTS | +14

His rebounding and defense were a huge part of the Sixers run in the first half that gave them the lead at the halftime. More of the same from ET helped the Sixers put this one away in the huge 3rd Q.

A preface: I don’t think the Sixers are going to get Dwight Howard. I don’t anticipate buying a Dwight Howard Sixer’s jersey three weeks from now and wearing it to a championship parade in June. I’m pulling hard for that scenario, but alas, I ‘m not counting on it. That said…

There are two pieces of criteria Dwight Howard — or the people who make decisions for Dwight Howard — should use when determining where he should petition to play professional basketball next: the place that gives him the best chance of success on the court, and the place that gives him the best chance of success off the court.

There is, obviously, a strong, but imperfect, correlation between these two successes. And Philadelphia, despite being excluded from Howard’s infamous list, meets both better than anyone.

Was the win over the lowly Orlando Magic the most unconvincing, convincing win ever?

As far as this season goes, it was.

It finally takes away the withstanding asterisks next to those quality blow outs. It eliminates all complaining that Collins can’t win the close ones. It hopefully prevents the meat heads from BEGGING for a quality opponent as a measuring stick. And with any luck, keeps the Sixers under the radar to their upcoming opponents.

That win, to me, handled and dismantled all of that.

In all seriousness, the Sixers just choked out the Orlando Magic offense with its usual strong defensive grasp; holding on to their first place rank in points allowed per game at 86.1. They’ve done it to the bottom feeders consistently and they just did it to an Eastern Conference playoff mainstay. Even in this drowned out and ludicrous season forOrlando, they are still a playoff team. Period. And that beat down just happened.